In Vino Veritas
by Solvdrage
Summary: "In wine truth," is an ancient saying. People are more likely to reveal their true feelings under the influence of wine. Of course, when Jaune Arc and Pyrrha Nikos went into their marriage gambit with sober heads. The only reason they had trouble remembering everything was Team SSSN brought the tequila.
1. Chapter 1

**Cover Art by WarrenDSherman**

* * *

Jaune Arc awoke coughing, sore, wet, suffering from the most vicious headache ever, naked and practically crushed against an over-designed deck chair.

He had never felt happier or more alive.

The rain was light but came down in steady, fat drops. Vale was currently in the 'sweet spot' of Fall. It wasn't so early in the season that the sun was competing with the Grimm to try to destroy all life on Remnant with billion degree heat. The transition to winter also hadn't begun. Bitter cold heralding the arrival of snow was still several weeks away.

He would have been content to let his elbow permanently wedged into the small gap between the arm rest and top part of the chair's frame if it wasn't for the rain. Jaune sighed into the mass of red tresses that spread across his...oh man...his _partner's_ back like lava flow. The rain drops rolling along the contours of the woman's back were replacing one fog in his mind with another one. Earlier, the haze had been born from his first, and likely _only_ , hangover. Now, it was a fog he loosely remembered from the previous night.

The hammering of his heart was the first thing he remembered. Jaune's heart quickly went back to beating at a million miles per hour when he saw the now soppy mess of blankets and towels that had once been a make-shift bed. Images of bare skin that glistened with sweat under the city lights dominated his memories.

' _I should get us inside,'_ Jaune thought as the rain started to come down harder.

"Is...is it raining?" The warm and inviting voice of Jaune's deck-chair compatriot asked. Even groggy and still exhausted from the previous night's festivities, the voice was melodic and soothing. Jaune couldn't help but smile at the little warble that slipped into her voice when she was uncertain.

"Just started," Jaune answered gently. "We should head back inside."

"I don't want to," the beauty refused by way of nuzzling against Jaune's chest. "If I move, I'm scared this will all fade away into a dream."

"This is all real, unfortunately, I'm sure that includes the headache," Jaune whispered into the mess of red hair. He blinked away the rain out of his eyes.

Again, Jaune was enraptured by the way the steady downpour flowed around the curves of the woman sharing the limited space on the chair with him.

"I, ow, I don't regret anything about last night. In the future, I don't think I'll drink like that _ever again."_

Jaune nodded as he watched _the_ woman sit up and stretch. As she moved, his body _ached_ not because of soreness or pain, but because of _absence_. She was straddling him. Her womanhood brushed against his dick and set his entire body on fire. Jaune wanted to chuckle at his own words. He described himself with vulgar terms, but for her Jaune was using poetry.

Jaune hated poetry.

He looked up at his partner's smiling face. "I like this reaction," she chuckled before leaning down for a kiss to his forehead.

"I love it, personally," Jaune confessed. "I mean, wow, you're letting me see you...like this."

"We can continue this discussion inside, _dear_."

Dear.

Jaune Arc had done a lot of crazy things over the past year. He had gotten his hands on forged transcripts and, _technically_ , entered Beacon illegally. Jaune had then lead JNPR in battle against a huge Deathstalker and won. On top of all that, his team trusted him to continue as leader after the CRDL fiasco. Yesterday morning, Jaune had rewarded his team's faith in him. They had defeated BRNZ and advanced to the Doubles Round.

However, that _paled_ in comparison to the absolutely insane stunt he had pulled yesterday afternoon.

His memory of the previous day was lost in a haze of adrenaline bleed-off and his hangover. There were moments of clarity as his mind sorted itself out. Jaune knew exactly what happened, but some of the details were fuzzy.

There was no regret.

Jaune ran his thumb across his ring finger. He had used up every single lien connected to his name. There was no doubt his family had flooded his Scroll with worried messages. Jaune _had_ heard his mom saying how she was terrified Jaune would get robbed in city. Still, there was no regret. It was worth it.

As more memories came into focus, Jaune Arc smiled. This was definitely the craziest thing Jaune had ever done. He _definitely_ needed plans to go into hiding. There were two men and six women who were no doubt out for his blood. Jaune couldn't quite blame them. He...just didn't care.

It had been _his_ choice to…

...he still had trouble admitting this…

Jaune Arc had gotten married. In a desperate gambit to save his best friend from a sudden, and undoubtedly loveless, arranged engagement, Jaune Arc had proposed to one Pyrrha Nikos.

Her 'yes' had not been what Jaune expected. Jaune _had_ expected a 'Thank you' for helping Pyrrha to avoid a marriage to a man something like ten years older than her whom she had never met.

' _Maybe, **maybe,** a hug,'_ Jaune chuckled at the memory. _'Well, **technically** , there was a hug...'_

Jaune was fairly certain Pyrrha had more or less hugged him right before kissing him with the passion of a thousand suns.

"Jaune, dear, is everything alright?" Pyrrha asked from the door to the stairwell.

A smile worked its way to Jaune's mouth. She was trying so hard to be a _wife_. "Everything is great, Pyrrha." He crossed the distance and wrapped his very naked, very beautiful partner up in a hug. "My memories are escaping from the funk of yesterday."

"I, well, I still have a headache and can't remember everything myself," Pyrrha confessed. "Is that normal after you drink?"

"Uh," Jaune articulated. "I guess? I mean, I've never gotten drunk before. Heck, I've never _had a single drink_ before."

"We're blaming this on SSSN, aren't we?" Pyrrha smiled into Jaune's chest.

Jaune laughed. "We'll let them tell Team RWBY about everything."

"That's _horrible_ Jaune! Yang and Weiss will tear them apart!" Pyrrha giggled.

"Sun tricked us intro drinking tequila."

Pyrrha chewed her lip. "True, but it did lead to the plates."

"That was the fourth best thing last night..."

"Fourth? What, well, what did you rank higher?" Jaune was holding Pyrrha so tightly that he felt her heart frantically beating as she asked the question.

"The two times you said yes," Jaune answered as he leaned in. Memory was making him feel bold.

Of course, his brilliant plan fell victim to the age old adage of "No plan survives contact with the enemy."

Except, in this case 'enemy' was code for beautiful naked wife/best friend. Jaune had planned to be _super smooth_ and score a kiss that wasn't locked in his memories behind a haze of alcohol and adrenaline. Pyrrha cut him off and took the initiative on the kiss. It seemed Jaune was not the only one emboldened by memories of last night...or was it this morning?

Honestly, everything melted away as the partners let their guard down and indulged their hormones. Jaune and Pyrrha had lived in _fear_ of upsetting their previous status quo. That friendship was the single most positive relationship the partners had ever possessed.

Then, the J and P of JNPR had hatched their little 'scheme' to foil Mr. and Mrs. Nikos's suddenly announced arranged marriage between Pyrrha and an older noble. Jaune simply wanted Pyrrha to be happy. He knew she wouldn't be happy in a loveless marriage. Pyrrha simply wanted to stay with her dearest friends. If the marriage to the noble, whose name she had no interest in remembering, had happened Pyrrha would have been reduced to a trophy.

Eloping had simply been the 'quickest' solution. There had been an air of desperation, but unexpectedly it had turned into one of the best decisions of their lives. Eventually, conscious thought took a backseat to indulging in the cravings of the flesh and the desire for physical affection. Hands roamed across bare skin. Instinct and reactions to pleased noises served as Pyrrha and Jaune's guiding forces. The intensity of the moment jolted more memories into focus. Jaune redirected his focus from Pyrrha's lips to her lower neck and collar bone. Pyrrha put the hair at the back of Jaune's head into an absolute death grip. Mrs. Arc would normally have raised some concerns about _her husband's_ stance being too wide.

This was not one of those times.

Quickly, she positioned herself over Jaune's thigh. Pyrrha bucked against her partner, best friend, and _husband._ The intense moment was interrupted after a peal of thunder startled them out of their skin.

"I, well," Pyrrha breathed. "I can certainly get used to _this_ becoming a routine..."

Jaune attempted to agree, but as Pyrrha was playing with his hair he could only murmur something that approximated positive agreement.

A second, and rather 'unique', peal of thunder prevented any further attempts at consummating the new relationship.

"I don't think we've eaten since the food truck," Jaune pondered when he recovered his voice.

Pyrrha nodded. "It has certainly been some time and we have been...active."

"That's, very, wow," Jaune bumbled the words. He knew full well what had transpired the night before. It was just that he couldn't believe he was talking about it or that he was hearing Pyrrha talk about it.

The couple blushed as the realization hit them. Pyrrha looked to the railing in the private stairwell. Her features brightened. "We were not as 'out of it' as I feared!"

Jaune followed her eyes. "Seems that way."

A pair of bath robes were hanging haphazardly from the railing. The pair dressed with reluctance, before heading down into the opulent hotel suite Pyrrha had secured for JNPR's _celebration_.

"Ren! Look, Mr. and Mrs. Pyrrha Nikos decided to join us!" Nora called out as she bounded over the leather couch in the living area. Ren was sprawled out on an excessively luxurious chair. He smiled at his friends and waved.

Nora proceeded to simu-glomp her friends. "I'm still so happy for you two! I can't believe that happened last night! It started with our victory party, got a bit sad, but ended _sooooo_ happy!"

"Everything did work out," Jaune agreed. "Couldn't have done it with you and Ren."

"We wouldn't have wanted to go through with this plan without you," Pyrrha quickly added as she hugged the sister she always wanted but only recently had tightly.

Jaune nodded at Ren, who had pulled himself off the chair had made his way over. The two young men exchanged a fist bump. "Well yeah, who _else_ would be Pyrrha's maid of honor? And do you think I'd have someone from SSSN as my best man over my brother-from-another-mother?"

"Good point!" Nora beamed.

Ren smiled. "Are you two as hungry as we are?"

"Famished," Pyrrha answered.

"What my better half said," Jaune quickly agreed. The NPR all gave their leader an odd look. "That's what Dad always calls Mom. Figured since everything has worked out good for them, I should try it."

The team shrugged. Jaune's parents had stuck together through eight children. That had to count for _something._ After a quick debate, two lectures from management about complaints from other guests and passer-bys for _noise_ , and a very detailed order, JNPR gathered around the mahogany dining table.

"I can't believe we're staying in a place like this," Nora finished her statement with a gesture. "I'm pretty sure this table I just spilled a bit of syrup cost more than all the money Beacon received for my tuition."

Pyrrha reached across the table and took her friend's hand. "Where we are doesn't matter. I am happy _anywhere_ we make memories together."

"Thanks, Pyrrha," Nora whispered.

Jaune locked eyes with Ren. "How lucky are we?"

"Very," Ren agreed with a nod. "Speaking of memories...how well do you remember yesterday?"

The newlyweds exchanged a glance accentuated with a wry grin.

"You'd be surprised," Mr. Arc confessed.

Mrs. Arc hummed as she tilted her head to the side. "Why? Did something happen?"

Ren chuckled and shook his head. "Team SSSN left something for us."

"Oh no..." Pyrrha whimpered. Jaune gulped audibly.

Nora's grin was almost predatory in its intensity. "They. Recorded. Everything!" The petite warrior woman held up a small Scroll Fob. "And I have it! Wanna watch?"

* * *

 **Author's note:** This is my take on the popular "Drunken Marriage" genre. I'm in no way connected to the 'community' that introduced this concept to the RWBY community from other sources. Chapter two is already written and will be posted in a few days.

A few more points to bring up.

1\. This fic was written in response to a fic on Archive of Our Own that was written for the shittiest of reasons of all time. I'm not going to mention it by name, but the author wrote another fic called "Roundabout Seduction" (I think. I don't honestly care to remember the guy's fics or even his name.) I didn't respond well to his NTR bullshit fic. So, I decided from now on, I'll direct the energies from my absolute hatred of NTR into positive pursuits. I have a plan for an _actual_ ending for In Vino Veritas. So, as soon as this is over I have a few other ideas. One is exactly what that guy hates. Mindless Jaune with every female smut. So, that might mostly replace Extra Curricular.

2\. Speaking of Extra Curricular, I am still working on it. The issue is that I lost nearly two thousand words of the Willow Schnee/Kali/Ghira lemon. So I was incredibly disheartened by that issue. The same thing happened to The Spirit's Wedding which explains the gap in updates for that fic as well.

3\. Beacon: Academy is currently waiting on Racellos to comb through the chapter. It will be posted as soon as possible.

4\. As mentioned at the top of this chapter, the cover art comes courtesy of the awesome WarrenDSherman. His art is amazing and he also is responsible for the cover art of RareNyte's Rolls Off The Tongue (which you should all read) and Laughing Lefou's Phantom Once... er...sorry Lefou, I couldn't resist XD Phantom Nevermore: New Moon Waltz. Warren is also a writer. He's the genius behind From Embers to Dust. It is an awesome fic and I encourage y'all to check it out! It is amazing. Please, check it out!

Feel free to leave a review! Thanks for all the support!


	2. Chapter 2

**Update:** I derped and forgot to include the scene breaks. The Scene breaks are the start and end of a flashback. Apologies.

* * *

Laughter filled the hotel room as Jaune clutched his head. He had successfully connected Team SSSN's Scroll Fob to the giant screen, but had hit his head on the way out.

"Do you want Pyrrha to kiss it and make it better?" Nora teased as she got an ice pack for her teammate.

"Can I get a kiss from Pyrrha _and_ the ice pack?" Jaune asked. Pyrrha obliged just as Nora rounded the granite kitchen island with an ice pack.

"Two questions for you both," Nora started. "First, Jaune has more Aura than all of us. How did he get hurt by a TV cabinet? Second, Pyrrha what would your mother say about being so shameless? You're _holding hands_ with a man in public."

Jaune sighed as he iced his bruise. "Why didn't your Aura save you that one time you stubbed your big toe?"

"Good point," Nora relented. "Why _doesn't_ Aura protect us from crippling injuries like that?"

"A question for the ages," Ren said from behind his tea cup.

Pyrrha smiled. The antics of her friends and _husband_ were always endearing. Jaune had also rescued her from a currently touchy subject. "Maybe we should ask Professor Peach? I'm sure she would have very informative diagrams."

Ren nodded appreciatively. Nora and Jaune had a very different reaction. Nora paled and gripped the collar of Ren's shirt. "Don't even joke like that Renny! You can't let Professor Peach use _diagrams!_ She's worse than Port when someone mentions Deathstalkers!"

"Pyrrha, dear," Jaune exclaimed with panic that eclipsed that which 'launched' his Beacon career in his voice. "I will give you a foot massage every day for a week in exchange for _not_ doing anything that will give Professor Peach an excuse for drawing a diagram!"

"A week you say?" Pyrrha added a teasing tapping of her index finger against her chin to the question. Jaune nodded frantically and dove in front of his wife. Mrs. Jaune Arc smiled. "Fine, no diagrams."

Nora and Jaune high-fived each other. "Dodged one there, boss!"

"Ain't that the truth, Nora!" Jaune breathed a sigh of relief.

Ren cleared his throat. "What does everyone remember about yesterday? I am still fuzzy on some details thanks to listening to Sun and Scarlet's 'helpful suggestion'."

"Obviously, we all remember beating Team BRNZ," Jaune pointed out.

Nora had decided that her new seat was Ren's lap. She 'booped' Ren on the nose before facing the rest of her team. "I got to smash them! That Nolan guy was kind enough to taze me!"

"The look on his face was funny," Pyrrha confessed. "I am surprised Port didn't launch into one of his stories."

"I'm surprised the 'distract the sniper plan' worked," Ren admitted.

Jaune sighed. "You're really fast, Ren. I had faith in you."

"Thank you, Jaune," Ren said earnestly. He could see where Jaune was coming from now. JNPR's leader had increased in confidence since the start of their time at Beacon. It was astounding, but he still had issues with self-doubt. There were only two people who could pull Jaune from that downward spiral; Ruby and Pyrrha.

"Did you know you're trending, Jaune?" Nora bounced a bit in Ren's lap. The usually stoic young man was having quite the reaction.

* * *

"I'm trending?" Jaune squawked. "Since _when?"_

Nora quirked an eyebrow. "You don't remember? We were sitting at the table and..."

Jaune Arc downed a glass of water, somehow. His hands were shaking fiercely as the adrenaline from the match against BRNZ started to bleed away. "What was that Nora?"

"I think we're trending. Well, mostly your **"And we're in the middle of a conversation!"** explosion. People love it," Nora explained.

Pyrrha was poking at her scroll. "We're...a meme now?"

"It seems that way," Ren confirmed. "I think we've got our own...hashtag?"

Jaune was looking over Pyrrha's shoulder. "The heck is #TeamDoubleDates all about? I don't think any of us are together-together yet."

Pyrrha's back went ram-rod straight when Jaune stumbled over the word _yet_. She was learning some of her partner's 'tells' and this looked like one of them. Jaune had a tendency to stumble when he decided to do something, despite not being one hundred percent sure of it.

' _Could it...could it be?'_

"Yet?" Ren asked curiously.

Jaune gulped and turned to Pyrrha. "Well..."

"Excuse me, champions!" The restaurant's owner interjected bombastically. "I am sorry to interrupt your celebration of your victory at the Vytal tournament! Would you honor the request of Professor Port's brother for a toast?"

"Mr...Vermouth, was it?" Jaune asked. The _magnificently_ bearded man nodded with a definitive air of class. Jaune looked to his teammates. "I hope I am not being offensive, but are you Professor Port's _half-brother_?"

"Of course lad!" Vermouth bellowed and laughed with supreme masculinity. "Our Father 'Shook Remnant's Hand' in his youth!"

"I, um, sure that was quite the accomplishment. We would be honored to have a toast with you," Pyrrha interjected. As Vermouth beamed and turned to collect the bottle.

"Nice save," Jaune whispered in Pyrrha's ear. She swallowed and nodded in acknowledgment. The young woman did not trust her voice, especially since Jaune had given her hand a reassuring squeeze.

Port's brother returned and walked JNPR through the basics of wine tasting. They all toasted to a match well fought.

"I want a monocle and top hat!" Nora declared.

Ren nodded in agreement. "This is the kind of drink that would fit with our prom outfits."

"So..." Jaune drew out. "Anyone here ever actually _drink?"_

Every member of JNPR shook their heads. "Me either. This wine looks really expensive and we've barely touched our glasses."

"What do you have in mind, Jaune?" Nora asked.

"If I may?" Ren slid into the conversation. "I believe Jaune is about to suggest we all lead a toast."

Pyrrha chewed her lip. "Well, if we just take a sip I don't think we will get out of hand."

"We're Huntresses, Pyrrha! We have metabolism lesser women would _kill_ for! A little wine won't hurt us, right?" Nora's confidence fizzled out near the end of her mini-speech. Jaune and Ren weren't entirely sure, but they didn't want to bring Nora down.

She _had_ won the match for JNPR after all.

"We're all responsible here," Jaune praised his team. "Ladies first?"

"Nora, you were the deciding factor of our victory today. Please, take the first toast," Pyrrha offered graciously.

"Thanks Pyrrha!" Nora bolted out of her seat. "First, I could get used to wine. It's just super-dapper grape juice, and I love grape juice. Second, the actual toast. Um, for a long time, it was just me and Renny. I've, well, I've never had much family. JNPR means so much to me. I really do...love...all of you. So, a toast to JNPR!"

"To JNPR!" Ren, Pyrrha, and Jaune toasted.

Pyrrha stood up nervously. She wasn't sure how she could follow up something so heartfelt without appearing to trivialize her friend's statement. Pyrrha _had_ family. She hadn't been alone.

"That was beautiful Nora," Pyrrha started. "You are the sister I had always wanted. Ren, you have quickly become a wonderful brother..."

Pyrrha expertly avoided giggling when Jaune mouthed 'In-law', before continuing. "Jaune...I have never met someone so determined in their entire life. You constantly strive to better yourself. I...ca-cant't overstate how happy I am to be a part of your life. So, I'm sorry, but...to finding what we always wanted?"

Nora nudged Ren's arm using her elbow with the subtlety of a thousand falling bricks. The action went unnoticed as the _other_ half of Team Double Dates were staring at each other in nervous optimism.

"To what we always wanted," Ren rescued via taking up the toast. The rest of JNPR took up the toast.

Jaune gulped and turned to his brother-from-another-mother. "So...you're up Ren."

"Thank you," Ren said graciously as he stood. "Nora and Pyrrha have said basically what I wanted to already. We have grown since arriving at Beacon. Here's to taking risks to continue to grow."

"To taking risks!" Jaune and Nora called out. Pyrrha repeated Ren's statement, but was focused on the 'Oh crap, I'm about to do it,' look on Jaune's face.

"Oh crap, I'm about to do this," Jaune tried to avoid panicking. "Uh, before I do what Ren said, I'd like to just say thanks for all your support. This is my toast and I'm rambling. Nora and Ren, I hope you guys don't mind what I'm about to say. I love you two like family, but...Pyrrha you're my best friend."

He paused to _down_ the last bit of his wine. "And I'm terrified of making this weird, but would you, maybe, want to _go out_?"

"Go...out? As in a, well, a date?" Pyrrha stumbled over her words. She was going to say 'yes', but Pyrrha had to make absolutely sure.

"As in whatever you want to call it," Jaune added.

"I would _love_ to go on date with you," Pyrrha accepted with gusto.

Jaune excitedly poured himself another glass and motioned to his friends to ask if they needed a refill. Nora offered her glass. Jaune happily filled the glass. Ren and Pyrrha shook their heads. They weren't _quite_ ready for a refill though.

"I kinda gave my speech before the toast, so, here's to _us._ All of us. Forever," Jaune toasted. His friends, his team, his dearest people took up the toast with enthusiasm.

JNPR happily ordered their meal. As they chowed down, Jaune started laughing. "I have a great idea. Want to see the CCTN explode?"

"I don't have social media," Ren pointed out.

Pyrrha smiled. "We could make a verified account for JNPR..."

"How would we get verified fast enough?" Nora asked.

"I, well, I could make a voice call to Chatter. They'd verify me, especially since I was one of the first verified accounts..." Pyrrha revealed.

"Okay team!" Jaune took a sip of his wine. "Here's the plan. First, we make Team JNPR's Chatter account."

"Of course, Fearless Leader," Pyrrha agreed using Nora's nickname for Jaune. JNPR huddled around Jaune's Scroll as he finished the registration. Pyrrha got a number from her contacts list and dialed. "Good afternoon, Stone."

Nora, Ren, and Jaune could only catch individual syllables and words. Pyrrha was in complete control, but occasionally smiled and rolled her eyes in the direction of her team. "That is very kind of you, Stone. JNPR's victory was just that, however. Our victory was a _team victory_."

"Oh, I'm sorry," Pyrrha said. "I'm afraid that wasn't why I called." Jaune could _hear_ the disappointment in this Stone guy's voice. _'Too bad for him. Pyrrha said yes to_ me.'

"Yes, the Beacon's JNPR account that was just created? That was by our team. I was wondering if we could...expedite getting that account verified. I'd be willing to do a Chatter Box of the pre and post Doubles match..."

JNPR watched their screen intently. Everyone cheered when the little blue checkmark appeared next to their handle. "Thank you, Stone."

The call ended and JNPR exchanged high fives like their lives depended on it.

"So, Jaune," Ren slid into the moment. "You said 'First' earlier."

"Alright, next order of business. Ren and Nora! You are to find the _dankest_ of #TeamDoubleDate memes. You know what to do," Jaune explained.

"Jaune, are you sure you want Nora involved in finding 'dank memes'?" Ren desperately questioned Jaune's sanity.

The team leader nodded as he rose to his feet. "Yes, because the final order of business involves asking Miss Pyrrha Nikos if she would like to dance. Vermouth has a small dance floor in front of the jukebox..."

"That would be grand!" Pyrrha practically swooned. The Mistral Champion took Jaune's hand and the newly minted couple strolled to open space in front of the jukebox. Jaune _may_ have been exaggerating a bit when he had called it a dance floor. It was less a dance floor and more 'that small area in front of the jukebox that people keep out of just in case'.

"Out of order? _Really?"_ Jaune asked.

Pyrrha bumped Jaune's hip with her own. "We have our Scrolls."

Jaune slipped his arm around his partner in vain attempt to absorb some of the warmth in her voice through physical contact. "And each other."

"Always," Pyrrha agreed. Her eyes widened for a fraction of a second, before every feature relaxed into a contented smile. Jaune had rested his hand at the small of her back, _not_ at her shoulder as etiquette required for casual partners. This wasn't the first time Jaune had sent this signal. At the dance, Pyrrha had believed that Jaune was an amateur when it came to dancing and failed to realize the signal he was sending.

But he was too good.

He led her beautifully, as he was doing now, around the dance floor.

Pyrrha possessed an eye for talent. She had been surrounded by, and pitted against, incredibly talented individuals her entire life. Jaune, her precious Jaune, was the best dancer she had ever had the pleasure of sharing an evening with.

Jaune was guiding Pyrrha using an ethereal music that the world gifted only to the partners. Twirls, turns, dips, and changes in pace flowed like the spring's first thaw. Boldly, Jaune drew his partner in closer. Their dance shifted from spring's first thaw to a flood. The pace quickened. Gazes during dips lingered as unspoken feelings crested the banks. Concurrent images were born. Jaune and Pyrrha indulged in all they could with respect to their present location. Pyrrha would press tightly against Jaune's body when their improvised routine had them back to stomach. She reveled in the contact, the warmth, and the husky breath that such a moment created.

For his part, Jaune Arc stole every opportunity to experience the wonders of Pyrrha's bare skin. Dips were just excuses to rest his hands against her upper thigh and that delicious sliver that existed between Pyrrha's combat skirt and her armored corset. His pride and confidence swelled as Pyrrha did not recoil at the touch. Eventually, the moment had to end. There was danger approaching. There would be a time and a place to go further, but the flood would have to recede for now. As the world expanded to include the rest of the human and Faunus population, Jauen and Pyrrha came to a decision. They could not and would not go back to what they had before.

Discussion would have to wait. The applause and hooting congratulations served as a powerful shock that drew the partners back to reality. Pyrrha, more use to adulating crowds, led Jaune in a bow to the masses. A great cheer went up as Pyrrha and Jauen acknowledged the other patrons.

It was a beautiful moment.

But nothing beautiful can last. An older gentleman at the bar, had clambered onto his stool in order to shout, "Kiss her dumbass!"

That was quite the signal for a retreat back to the relative safety of JNPR's table.

"Excuse me, Jaune," Pyrrha apologized as her Scroll buzzed in anger at Pyrrha's focus being elsewhere. She dared to be selfish and gifted both Jauen and herself a single moment of innocent affection. Jaune felt his cheek burn with the fires of Creation themselves from the simple contact of Pyrrha's lips against his skin.

He was man enough to admit he accepted four brofists and a handshake on his way back to the table. _At_ the table, Ren idly swiped at his scroll with his right arm. It was a routine scene made extraordinary by the position of Ren's right arm. The arm was draped comfortably over Nora's shoulder as she rested against his chest. The Queen of the Castle lounged luxuriously in the booth like the monarchs of old.

"We're _officially_ Team Double Dates now?" Jaune asked his dear friends.

Ren simply nodded, but Nora flashed Jauen a thumbs up. "Yes! You inspired me to woman-up just like you manned-up asking out Pyrrha. I asked Renny out and he said yes! Oh my god this day is _perfect!_ I can't possibly imagine anything going wrong!"

Jaune readily agreed. His eager nods gave way to an eager smile. "So...what are you two planning for your first _together-together_ date?"

"Dunno," Nora admitted.

"We've been _together_ for so long that we're not sure what has changed beyond..." Ren started to explain, but his voice faltered. His eyes widened and jaw hitched.

Jaune loved Ren and Nora like he loved his sisters. As a brother, Jaune had a _sacred duty_. "Making out? Cuddling on the sofa...and everywhere else? Holding hands _in public?"_

"Stop, Jaune! We get the idea!" Ren panicked.

"I don't know, I kinda liked the suggestions..." Nora teased. Jaune didn't catch what Nora whispered into Ren's ear. He _didn't_ miss the foggy look in Ren's eyes or the bob of his Adam's Apple as he swallowed.

The thought dancing at the tip of his tongue was suddenly lukewarm. Jaune Arc bolted from the booth with a "I'm checking on Pyrrha," and nary a backwards glance. The press of bodies and clipped comments as Jaune pushed through the tide of new arrivals.

He was singularly focused on reaching his partner. Jaune found her after scattering a gaggle of curious civilians with a glare. It hadn't been a particularly _angry_ glare, but the tilt of Jaune's head and the quirk of his eyebrows made his message clear.

Jaune's world came to a halt as he rounded the corner to Pyrrha's public/private temporary sanctum. Her red hair was a beacon. Jaune would always be able to follow her with her distinctive tresses.

Pyrrha didn't register his approach. She was hugging her legs tight against her chest as her breath hitched. Jaune didn't need to see Pyrrha's face to know that tears were racing down the gentle contours of her cheeks.

"I'm here," Jaune promised. He slid into a seated position next to Pyrrha "I'm here."

The repeated phrase was rewarded with a sniffle that signaled the end of the steady downpour of tears. Pyrrha's emotions were still stormy, but had calmed.

"I..." She started, but could not bring herself to finish the words.

"Let me help, please Pyrrha." Jaune Arc was a proud person. For Pyrrha Nikos, he was willing to put his own pride to the side.

"You're already doing it," the young woman sighed and rested her head against Jaune's shoulder.

She gasped in surprise as Jaune squeezed her hand. "It..."

* * *

Pyrrha scooted her chair closer to Jaune and repeated the earlier action. "It was my parents. I'm glad they were the ones to break the news to me. I… I have almost gotten use to 'important' news about 'my' life being told to me via my agent."

"You're telling us that… your mom and dad… make life changing decisions for you all the time, but only let you find out _from a press release?!"_ Nora squawked. Her frame trembled at the thought. Her color began to drain as Ren used the time-honored tradition of a one-handed massage of Nora's left shoulder blade and his Semblance to help his best friend, now girlfriend, re-achieve emotional equilibrium.

"Yes," Pyrrha confirmed. "As my fame allowed greater access to Mistral's political scene, they became devoted to their careers."

"That's cruel," Ren stated simply. "Now that we are all sober, emotionally and _actually…_ who was this man?"

"The man who I was to be betrothed to was named Arrano Gorriak. He is the heir to Councilor Berde Gorriak. Arrano is thirty-four years old and head of Gorriak Air Freight and will inherit his father's council position when Councilor Gorriak passes away."

"You were being used as a tool to advance your parents' political careers and as a trophy wife/distraction for a man who is under investigation for tax fraud," Jaune surmised. Pyrrha nodded. Ren and Nora simply scowled in the general direction of Mistral, Arrano Gorriak, and Pyrrha's parents. "Yesterday was already a collection of the best decisions in my life, but finding this out… probably again… makes it that much better."

"I love you," Pyrrha blurted out and, to borrow a 'Ruby-ism', _glomped_ Jaune. Jaune wasted no time in returning the hug and affirming the mutual adoration and love.

"Before the newlyweds resume being, well, _newlyweds…_ are we going to watch SSSN's video or not?" Nora asked.

"Do we even know where it starts?" Ren asked.

"Probably with a bang," Jaune joked, but the laughter was drowned out by an actual bang.

In an instant, JNPR was at the window. "Explosion at the police station!" Pyrrha shouted.

"Get clothes on. I'll get our gear!" JNPR's leader ordered.

' _Of course, nothing can be simple,'_ Jaune lamented. Was it too much to ask for a _normal_ day?

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Here's chapter two! Hope y'all enjoy it.

Oh, and to the guy that 'gifted' Cardin/Pyrrha to me. Don't care. I didn't open it. Didn't do more than refuse the crap you pulled. I'm done after this. You are now a non-person and I encourage everyone who enjoys my fics to do the same. He wants attention and we're all giving him more than he deserves. So, y'all, I'm not even going to acknowledge him in PMs if you all ask, so please don't bother.

Moving on, I've written 920 words of the next chapter of this fic already. That's **with** a finicky w key. I have to stomp on it to make it work half the time just like Clemson stomped Louisville last Saturday! Goal is to have that chapter finished by the end of the week so I can devote my attention to Misstep in the Right Direction.

Glad everyone seems to have enjoyed this fic so far! Thank you for all the positive response.


	3. Chapter 3

#TeamDoubleDates returned from their attempt to help the situation at the police station. A traffic cop, enamored by Ren, had let it slip that this wasn't the only bombing currently happening around Vale. JNPR had volunteered to help with crowd control.

Well…

Team JNPR had _tried_ to help with crowd control. The presence of one of the four most famous teams in all of Remnant had ended up drawing quite the crowd. Jaune was getting a firsthand lesson in Pyrrha's usual life. Instead of asking what they could do to help, the crowds were screaming for eye contact or some kind of acknowledgment from JNPR. Fans groped and grasped for the opportunity to brush their fingers against every member of the team, _especially_ Pyrrha. Jaune was closing in on decking one particularly vulgar asshole who kept yelling at Pyrrha that his _King Taijitu_ was ready for her _._

The Atlas Knights and Paladins arrived at the perfect time.

Pyrrha was using her Semblance to keep Jaune in place after her husband had unsheathed Crocea Mors.

The little display did not go unnoticed by "Specialist" Winter Schnee, the elder sister of Weiss, "Please control your temper. While I commend your team's responsiveness to this situation, you must maintain control of all aspects of the situation. Still, you all show promise. Well done."

Specialist Schnee quickly took charge of the situation. The crowd was quickly dispersed, with only a few harebrained attempts to get Pyrrha's attention. She dissuaded quite a few 'suitors' when she snaked her arm around Jaune's waist.

As Ren took point on the way back to the hotel, Nora made a thoughtful noise. "Meeting Specialist Schnee was actually kinda nice."

"Why's that?" Jaune asked as he rubbed Pyrrha's shoulder in their _'walk-side-by-side-in-a-half-hug'_ gait.

"It means there's hope for Weiss yet!" Nora's reaction would be considered by many to be mocking. However, her closest friends knew that she was expressing genuine hope. Weiss _never_ mentioned it, but the heiress was occasionally self-conscious about being compared to her girl friends.

"Wow," Jaune laughed. _"Wow."_

Pyrrha chewed her lip and swallowed twice. Jaune caught a glimpse of Pyrrha's worry. He knew where Pyrrha's thoughts were heading. "I married _you, for_ you, and for you."

The half-hug quickly became a full hug and a kiss that would have been the subject of an epic romantic poem.

"Wait until after the video," Ren joked. "And until we get back to the hotel."

Jaune and Pyrrha broke the kiss at a glacial pace. "Donwanna."

Nora's shinning eyes rolled and her body shivered from good humor. "Eloquent, Jaune. You're a real wordsmith. I can see how you swept Pyrrha off her feet."

"He was, and _is_ , very good at sweeping me off my feet." Pyrrha resumed the couple's original walking position.

"Last night's marriage proves that," Ren agreed.

The team entered the private elevator to the main suite trailed by the echoes of their laughter. Nora and Ren continued to chuckle as the elevator's utterly cheesy faux-orchestral music served as the inspiration for yet another dance.

It turned out to be a tight fit in the rapidly rising contraption, but the moment couldn't be denied. The newlyweds weren't the only ones caught up in the cheesy romantic atmosphere. Ren proceeded to glide around the spacious elevator with an absolutely giddy Nora. JNPR danced their way clear of the elevator and back to the sofa in front of the TV.

"Like I said before the bomb… Do we even know _when_ and _where_ we met up with SSSN?" Nora asked again.

"We left off our recap of yesterday at the point where Pyrrha was telling Jaune about her arranged marriage," Ren pointed out.

Jaune nodded while fighting off a blush. Pyrrha was perched in his lap side-saddle with her left elbow resting lazily on his shoulder. His breath hitched as Pyrrha played idly with his hair. It was all Mr. Arc could do to avoid pinning Mrs. Arc to the sofa and ensuring _again_ that their marriage couldn't simply be annulled.

"Pyrrha, please stop trying to seduce your husband." Nora's voice danced with captive laughter.

"She's not having to try very hard," Jaune admitted absently.

This set Ren and Nora off into a fit of laughter. Nora, who was far more clever than many gave her credit for, buried her face in Ren's chest to 'contain her laughter'. It was simply a coincidence that Nora quickly recovered and decided to spend the rest of the conversation straddling Ren.

"Okay, so… You and Pyrrha had us worried after Jaune bolted," Nora recovered first. "The two of you have always been able to, well, help each other the best."

Ren nodded in agreement, but took a moment to recover his voice. "Pyrrha, you were clearly distressed as you left."

"I was about to panic," Jaune confessed.

"It was wrong, but I actually laughed when you bowled over some guy on the way out," Nora confessed.

A nervous cough filled the air. "I am sorry I used the confusion to grab a few nachos."

Everyone looked at Ren in surprise. A bigger surprise was when Jaune started pounding the table and choking for breath as raucous laughter flowed from his lungs. "Ren, the whole point of nachos is to share them. That's why I pushed them towards the middle of the table."

"Oh," Ren admitted. "That helps."

"While nacho etiquette is _fascinating,"_ Pyrrha slid into the conversation. "I would _love_ to hear what else you two were up to while I was telling Jaune about my waking nightmare."

"That was a happier story at that point…" Jaune prodded.

Nora smiled triumphantly as she took a page out of Pyrrha's playbook and played with Ren's hair. "Well, after you manned up Fearless leader… I was convinced that I could do it. So, I just _asked."_

"That's it?" Pyrrha wondered.

"That's it," Ren said simply.

"I guess not every relationship needs to jump straight into a kind of desperate marriage," Jaune volunteered.

Nora chuckled. "I think Ren and I will hold off on marriage for a bit. We've only been _together-together_ for… How many hours?"

"Less than twenty-four," Ren confirmed, _kinda._

"I vote that Team JNPR _never_ drink tequila again," Pyrrha motioned.

Ren raised his hand, as best he could with Nora latching on to his side like a remora, to second Pyrrha's motion.

"All in favor?" Jaune asked.

"Aye!" Team JNPR responded in unison.

Jaune nodded. "The Ayes have it. But seriously, that's it?"

"Yup, Jaune! I just asked Ren on a date. He said 'yes' and I squealed happily before you returned to the table saying that there was a 'situation' that Pyrrha needed help with."

"I paid our bill and got our to-go boxes," Ren finished.

JNPR simultaneously looked towards the fridge. Pyrrha gave voice to all their current thoughts. "Did we finish our food?"

"I hope not. It'd be nice to have it while watching SSSN's video," Nora answered.

"I remember where we ran into them now!" Jaune shouted. Pyrrha winced as Jaune shouted directly into her ear. "Oh crap, I'm so sorry Pyrrha. That wasn't on purpose. _Pleasedon'tmakemesleeponthecouch!"_

"It's alright, Jaune," Pyrrha whispered.

"Where did we meet them?" Ren asked.

Jaune smiled. "So, we were standing around as I explained the situation."

"You were also glaring at people trying to take pictures of Pyrrha," Nora reminded with an impish grin.

"And had an arm draped around her shoulders," Ren quickly added.

"Right," Jaune chuckled. "I was about to announce my crazy plan and then, SSSN shows up..."

"Let's start the video! I'm eager to see how this whole thing went down!" Nora chattered excitedly.

Pyrrha laughed. "Does anyone remember how we convinced them not to share this tape with anyone?"

"Not a clue," Jaune revealed. "It's probably in the video."

"What are you waiting for? We've been drawing this out enough already! Start this baby up!"

Jaune reached around Pyrrha to pick his Scroll and hit play.

" _And here, surrounded by the milling masses, we see #TeamDoubleDates in their natural habitat of a sea of awkward flirting and Unresolved Sexual Tension. Welcome to Team SSSN's 'Night Life of Huntsmen and Huntresses..."_ Sun narrated.

"I wish I could say they were wrong," Pyrrha sighed at Sun's comments in the video. Jaune nodded in agreement.

" _We must approach cautiously as JNPR is naturally skittish and the civilians may swarm the team in a feeding frenzy of selfies and squealing," Neptune explained as SSSN approached JNPR._

 _Sage laughed. "Who would run away faster; Neptune from water or JNPR if we tell them they are flirting again?"_

" _Neptune," Sun and Scarlet agreed instantly._

" _Hey!" Neptune snapped._

 _Team JNPR looked towards SSSN as they assumed Neptune was calling out to them. Scarlet turned the camera to capture the reaction of his teammates._

 _Neptune worked his jaw. "Jaune looks serious. Not the 'We're having a conversation' serious, but like that time I told you about on the roof."_

 _Jaune's eyes softened. SSSN realized he_ hadn't _overheard their narration. It was something else. "Hey guys. Great timing. I,_ we, _need your help. Do you know where the nearest jeweler is?"_

* * *

 **Author's Note:** There is a very good reason for the semi-cliffhanger and the shorter chapter length. The next couple of chapters will be exclusively from the 'video'. I'll be writing them like a normal chapter as that's easier, but from here until right before the Arkos lemon(s?) it'll be the video.

Thanks for the great response y'all! Let me know what you think in reviews! They full my muse!


	4. Chapter 4

**Preemptive Author's Note:** This chapter is the start of Team SSSN's video. However, the chapters will be presented in a traditional style. The reason for the usual chapter style is that JNPR is filling in the blanks. Assume parts where Team Sloth or Arkos slip off to the side is our favorite team pausing to fill in blanks. JNPR will be pausing the video and talking, but I'd rather keep everything clean formatting wise rather than a series of flashbacks and abrupt scene changes. I tried that in chapter 2 and I had some of my readers say that was hard to follow. So, assume this is the video combined with JNPR talking off screen about what happened.

Team SSSN and most of JNPR stared at Jaune in confusion. Sun flashed an amused look at Scarlet's camera. Pyrrha appeared for all the world like a deer caught in the headlights of a vehicle. Ren and Sage, as always, seemed to be the most at ease in all the madness. Neptune and Nora were very eager to see how far down the rabbit hole Jaune's idea was going to take everyone.

Of course, the moment was attracting a very large crowd.

"Uh, I think we're about to start trending again," Nora jumped into the conversation.

"You've got to learn something," Neptune interjected. "Once you're on _our_ level, you're always trending."

He flashed a smile at Nora. The next step was obliterated as Ren stepped closer to Nora. He promptly took her hand. Neptune quickly caught the message and fell back.

"Why do you need a jewelry store?" Scarlet asked from behind the camera.

Jaune turned to Pyrrha. Her nod was hesitant, and Jaune wouldn't reveal everything out in the open. "It's complicated, but there's a situation involving Pyrrha, Arrano Gorriak, and political stuff."

"The way you all look says this definitely wasn't something Pyrrha wanted or planned," Sun pointed out. Nora and Pyrrha were emphatically _glaring_. Sun and Neptune had seen RWBY glare. This was just as terrifying. SSSN's only solace was they were not the targets of the glare.

"I'm not marrying that man," Pyrrha declared.

No one argued.

"See? That's why I need directions to a jewelry store," Jaune interjected.

Nora squeed. Scarlet and Sun laughed as they witnessed Pyrrha dot exe crash.

Neptune owed Jaune. Thus, advice followed quickly. "At this time of night? Only a few places. How much can you spend?"

"Enough," Jaune answered.

"Sounds good. Gotta ask, why didn't you just look stuff up on your Scroll?" The 'suave intellectual' asked.

Jaune chuckled. "I… have a metered connection and I'm kinda using most of it right now."

Six out of the eight Huntsmen and Huntresses in training gave Jaune an inquisitive look. Pyrrha was still having issues processing everything. The champion was in the process of receiving a back rub from Nora. It was a semi-serious attempt to 'reboot' Pyrrha.

"Where are we heading, though?" Jaune prodded Neptune.

Neptune crossed his arms. A smile that radiated pure smugness. _"Dude…_ trust me!"

"The drawn out _dude_ is never a good sign," Jaune groaned.

Meanwhile, Nora was still doing her best to keep Pyrrha from collapsing into a mess of happy tears, emotional overload, sheer panic, and confused hope.

"Let me make a call. I've _got_ this," Neptune declared. He slipped away to call _someone_ or _somewhere._

Scarlet shook his head. "The last time he said that he 'got this', Sun ended up alone on a boat."

"From what our friends on Team RWBY said, that actually ended out as a positive," Ren pointed out.

"How _did_ Sun end up alone on a boat?" Nora asked. Sun chuckled nervously.

"Party the day before it left. Sun went to participate in a poker game, got lost," Sage explained.

"I did _not_ get lost!" Sun declared heatedly. "I just wanted to rub my winning in the face of everyone I beat."

"He got lost," Scarlet graciously corrected.

Jaune laughed. Ren laughed. Pyrrha managed to recover enough to laugh. In fact, pretty much everyone was laughing.

Except Sun.

"Well… I won a bunch of lien!" Sun shot back.

Sage shrugged his shoulders. Sun did have a point there.

Neptune returned to the group with a very pleased smile on his face. He paused in the center of the pow-wow with his arms crossed. "My guy at Haute to Trot came through."

"Haute," Jaune said.

"To _trot?"_ Nora roared before dying laughing. "Oh god, Ren, stop me before I roll on this dirty street!"

Ren shared a quick smile with Pyrrha before resuming "Nora Herding Duty". Jaune slipped past Scarlet and Sage and approached Pyrrha. "Hey?"

"H-Hey." Pyrrha blushed as Jaune took her hand.

"We going or not?" Neptune asked.

"Where exactly is this place?" Ren asked.

Neptune continued to grin knowingly. JNPR's worry increased every millisecond they thought about that grin.

Ren and Nora _knew_ things would only get worse, but their teammates were off in their own little world without a care in the world. The source of Ren and Nora's newfound terror?

The rest of Team SSSN were now smiling.

"I remember that place!" Scarlet shouted.

Sun and Sage exchanged hive fives and Sage flashed a dangerous smile at their 'allies'. "Don't they have two for one tequila?"

"T-what now?" Nora asked.

"Tequila! _Trust us!_ You'll love it," Sun promised.

Jaune rolled his eyes. "I'm not _entirely convinced..._ "

"Have I just been forgotten about? I feel like I've been written out of this whole deal," Neptune complained. "Are we going or not?"

JNPR agreed and followed SSSN through the city. As they advanced, a pair of thoughts hit Jaune like a freight train.

First, how exactly did Neptune already have a fashion shop in Vale?

Second, and most importantly, _what the hell was he thinking?_

Not Neptune, Jaune!

Jaune Arc counted this as about a billion times more insane than his forged entry into Beacon. His parents had halfheartedly humored/supported Jaune's quest for Beacon. This… would not just impact Jaune and his family. This would impact Pyrrha, her family, the family Mr. and Mrs. Nikos had entered into the arrangement with, and even in an over-dramatic fashion, the world.

' _Maybe I should take SSSN up on this tequila thing...'_ Jaune thought.

"Is something the matter, Jaune?"

Pyrrha's voice cut through Jaune's panicked thoughts as easily as Milo would have. "Well… I might need to take Sun's team up on that drink offer."

"Jaune-" Pyrrha's partner moved to interject, but she would not be dissuaded. "-I have faith that whatever you are going to do… you will not need anything but your own convictions."

"Pyrrha..." Jaune trailed off. "What you said… means more than anything. You've always supported more than anyone else in my life."

Pyrrha beamed and nearly wept at the words and Jaune's loving grip on her hand.

"But I'm going to need to drink for my wallet…."

Haute to Trot was evidently a "Twenty Four Hour Fashion Destination!" JNPR couldn't believe such a gaudy place _actually_ existed. They _could_ believe that this would be a place SSSN would have practically adopted as their own.

"Who's coming in with me and Jaune?" Neptune asked.

"I will," Pyrrha stated emphatically.

Neptune nodded. He also noted that Jaune and Pyrrha hadn't let go of each other's hands since the trip to Haute to Trot had begun. It wasn't his place to say anything, so he just held back.

"Arkos" as Nora had dubbed the partners started wandering around the jewelry section of the store. Jaune paused in front of a ring. It was a beautiful, yet simple, ring with a trio of emeralds.

More importantly, it was well within Jaune's budget and credit limit. "What do you think?"

"It is a beautiful ring. I've never seen anything like it," Pyrrha answered.

"Well, it belongs to you now," Jaune declared. Pyrrha stammered out an attempt to dissuade Jaune from spending so much on her. Her partner was hearing none of it.

"Excellent choice," the shop's associate stated simply. He produced the ring, after running Jaune's Scroll and receiving payment of course, and handed it over.

"Well, wish me luck!" Jaune said through manic and nervous laughter. The associate gave Jaune a nod and thumbs-up. That bouyed the young man's confidence a tiny bit.

' _Fortune favors the bold...'_

One last, utter failure of but a valiant attempt regardless, calming breath and Jaune Arc went down on one knee.

"Pyrrha Nikos, you are my best friend and my rock. You deserve to live your own life, but I want to help you once like you've helped me so many times..."

Pyrrha started to cry. Fortunately, Jaune had seen his sister Jonquille get a pony for her 12th birthday. He recognized happy tears.

"Will you marry me instead of that other jerk?"

"Yes..." As the word left Pyrrha's lips, Jaune Arc was engulfed in the hug to end all hugs. The kiss that followed was pretty awesome too.


	5. Hiatus Annoucement

**Hiatus Notice:**

I hate when writers do this, but I do believe you all shouldn't be left in the lurch. I'm putting all my RWBY stories on hiatus for the foreseeable future. There are several reasons for my departure.

First, I haven't been hugely thrilled with the direction of canon RWBY. Volume 4 and Volume 5 have been disappointing. V4, I gave a mulligan to. It was the first volume rendered in Maya and post-Monty. The volume… felt as though it was treading water. Volume 5 started with promise, but once it it hit the house… Everything just felt stalled. Instead of addressing the Pyrrha-shaped elephant in the room… we got BIIIIIIIIIIIIIRDS. Not to say there _weren't_ great moments in V4 and V5, but the sense of stalling and other issues outweighed them from me.

Second, there is a lot of toxicity in this fanbase. I'm not a member of the subreddit, but even I know about the bumblebee song incident. It dragged the VAs into the mess. Then there was the AMA and how Miles is hestiant to write Jaune scenes because of the chorus of "He's an SI!" unwarranted criticism. I've also never seen so much cucking/NTR in a fandom. 90% of it is trolling of Arkos. I have never seen any other pairing targeted in the same manner. Speaking of which, you may have noticed that "Extra Curricular" is gone. That's no coincidence. I tried writing NTR. Damn near threw up. Deleted everything I had worked on past the first chapter. If "Extra Curricular" comes back, it will probably be a mix of lemons and slice of life oneshots… and exclusively Arkos.

The final reason is somewhat connected to the previous. The last straw in my decision to step back from this fandom is my experiences on a fairly well known RWBY, primarily Jaune, centric server. I met some great people on that server and had some good times. However, I never felt that Arkos and Pyrrha was a welcomed topic by a vocal portion of the members. I can name several moments where Pyrrha and/or Arkos were painted in a negative light where even mentioning Pyrrha was unnecessary. I'm not going to dredge up more dirty laundry about those incidents in public. The final straw, however, was on Valentine's Day. There was a massive amount of meme-ing about Pyrrha being dead. A message to the two members who were responsible for **all of it** : I get it. Pyrrha's dead. There was also a good bit of spamming Pyrrha cucking Jaune art. For two people who are 'indifferent', their actions gave proof to that lie. But the real reason I left? It was blatant trolling and most of the mods were as indifferent as the agitators claimed to be. Granted with the state of flux due to a semi-vacuum of leadership that existed, I should not have been surprised.

Now for the tl;dr version of this, I'm stepping back. My Naruto fic and Chains of the Kindred fans will be happy to know I'm going to focus on those fandoms for a while. I'll be looking at whether or not I'm coming back to RWBY. Thanks to two new servers I'm apart of… it's looking like I will be back eventually. I'm not sure if my current fics will remain as they are. Some, such as Beacon: Academy and In Vino Veritas will most certainly remain unchanged. Sanctum Days is _likely_ to remain as is. Extra Curricular will be rebuilt from the ground up. Jaune Appetit… I'm debating.

I can promise you'll never see a color-swapped Weiss becoming some kind of thirsty mirror inverted… thing in any of them.

Sorry for being salty at the end, but I do hope I'll be energized by this hiatus and return. In the meantime, if you want to support some awesome Arkos writers, I suggest the following:

Smstanton of "4 Years at Beacon"  
Solora Goldsun of many fics  
soulfulbard of many fics  
WarrenDSherman: of "From Embers to Dust" and great Artwork. He is responsible for the cover to "In Vino Veritas"  
Harmonious Arkos Sloth: of "Product Placement" and "Blame Discord!" fame.

I am sorry to disappoint you all, but this is something I feel is warranted. I need to determine if I should continue as I was. Who knows? I may break down in a week thanks to my actual Discord friends and start writing and building up a backlog. However, I will probably not be back to RWBY fics until May at the earliest. As to when I start writing? I'm not sure. I will not be putting my fics up for adoption at this time. If you see any of my RWBY fics reposted during this hiatus, they are not authorized and I will be reporting them.


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